Landon's StoryWe met Landon while attending the NCAA College World Series in Omaha in June 2017 as he was just about to reach his 12th birthday. He was born with a form of Spina Bifida causing him to be wheelchair bound with no use of his legs from the waist down. He has a manual wheelchair that he propels himself. His father, Ryan, told us, “He is a very independent young man, never accepting that he can’t do something that he wants to do, he just adapts to do it differently.”
He stays very active with a vibrant and contagious “can do” attitude and he exemplifies the kind of child we are eager to help. He plays wheelchair basketball with the Nebraska Red Dawgs. At Wheelchair Sports Camp, he has learned to play various activities in his chair such as baseball, tennis, archery, self-defense, fencing, rugby, golf, and volleyball. Landon enjoys tubing, knee boarding, kayaking and swimming in the summer, but one thing that Landon wanted to do was to be independent on a sit ski. “Landon had participated in a ski clinic in August 2016 and LOVED the freedom he experienced!” said Ryan. He continued, “So of course, one of the first things that came to our minds was we need a sit water ski for him! We worked with AJOY Foundation and received a grant to get one! The experience with AJOY was fantastic! They were very interested in what Landon could use for adaptive sports equipment to keep him moving and living an active lifestyle.”
Keeping Landon active in daily life is extremely important to allow him to keep his weight down and build strength. By getting a sit water ski, he was be able to continue to build on his strength and that will benefit him in the future. Because he has no use of his legs, he depends on his arm strength to get around.
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Matt Branch Back on 2 Legs!!! May 24, 2019 Matt Branch has worked tirelessly over the past 5 months to get back on his feet. His attitude of fearlessness and determination have made him seemingly unconquerable! On Monday, May 20, Matt and his family traveled to Joliet, Illinois to begin working... |
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